What Wiped Out the Dinosaurs? Part 2: The Effects Publication by Hugh Ross ( March 22, 2010 ) In last Monday’s article, I discussed the conclusions drawn by a panel of 41 scientists from their careful review of over twenty years’ worth of research findings concerning the cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event.1 They determined beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt that a huge asteroid colliding in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico 65.5 million years was indeed the culprit behind the demise of the last remaining ecosystem of dinosaurs and, along with it, over half of all other species. In the second and last part of the series I will describe the panel’s conclusions concerning the effects brought about by the collider and what those effects imply for the creation/evolution debate. Evolution
The Dark and Bright Sides of Cosmology Publication by Hugh Ross ( October 1, 2007 ) Astrophysics has its ironies. Here’s one: Studies of the brightest galaxies in the universe led to the discovery that 99 percent of all matter is “dark matter”.1 But matter is only part of the universe (about a fourth). The rest is energy. Adding irony to irony, research focusing on the brightest stars in the universe shows that “dark energy” is far more abundant than dark matter, making up most of the rest of the universe. Despite its often negative connotation, this “darkness” is not a bad thing. Evolution
The Worldview of Continuity Publication by Guest Writer ( October 31, 2011 ) Did you ever have what you thought was a new idea—only to discover someone had beaten you to it? Worldviews
Feedback Control in Biology Publication by Guest Writer ( August 4, 2008 ) Calcium levels of pregnant cows in Iowa may not be the first image that comes to mind when Christian apologists invoke supernatural design, but that appears to be the case based on a recent feedback control study. As an electrical engineer, I can appreciate the level of design and fine-tuning required in making such systems work properly. The next several paragraphs examine and compare (in some technical detail) human-designed control systems with natural ones found in cows. Design
More Evidence for the Design of Earthquake Activity Publication by Hugh Ross ( August 17, 2008 ) Faulting, generated by active and widespread tectonics, allowed a youthful Earth to support diverse and abundant life. In the December 2007 issue of Astrobiology Stanford University geophysicists Norman H. Sleep and Mark D. Zoback note that the higher tectonic activity during Earth’s early history could have played a key role in cycling critically important nutrients […] Design
Exoplanets Set to Reveal Earth’s Rarity Publication by Jeff Zweerink ( January 1, 2010 ) Fifteen years ago, astronomers knew of only eight planets in the universe (nine if you still count Pluto). Now nearly 400 planets outside our solar system populate an ever-increasing planetary catalog. Recent advances have revealed the first definitive detection of a rocky planet and the first direct observation of a planet-like object orbiting near a sun-like star. While the catalog of extra-solar planets grows, so does the list of requirements the planetary system must meet in order to support life. As astronomers continue to find new planets using existing and novel technologies, the body of evidence showing the uniqueness of our solar system to support life also grows larger. Astronomy
Searching for Earths Publication by Guest Writer ( October 1, 2007 ) I once saw a toy that served as a visual example of the saying “one in a million”. It consisted of a clear plastic ball about 4 inches in diameter filled with literally a million little plastic cubes. All were painted silver but one, which was painted red. The object was to find the red cube! Needless to say, finding it was no mean task. Astronomy
Surprising Source of Methane Publication by Hugh Ross ( February 28, 2006 ) A surprising source of methane provides additional support for RTB’s creation model. Methane is the second-most important greenhouse gas behind carbon dioxide, in part because it requires far more energy to produce than carbon dioxide—especially when oxygen is present. However, a team of international scientists found that plants produce methane in oxygen-rich environments and may contribute up to one third of the methane that enters the atmosphere. While the production of methane would be an evolutionary disadvantage because of the additional energy requirement, it does provide another mechanism to stabilize the global climate from runaway heating or cooling. Such intricate interactions between biological and atmospheric mechanisms comport with a model positing that a supernatural Designer has maintained Earth as a habitat fit for life.
Weird Life: Must Life Chemistry Be Carbon Based? Publication by Guest Writer ( April 27, 2015 ) In the early days of science fiction television, aliens on shows like Star Trek and Dr. Who typically looked like humans with slight feature changes. Some had green skin, some were given antennae, others had enlarged heads, and so forth—nothing too complex thanks to small production budgets. These days, digitally created aliens in Hollywood blockbusters can take on any […] Extraterrestrials & UFOs
Checking Our Worldview Publication by Guest Writer ( March 19, 2010 ) Several years ago, a colleague and I were discussing the writing of a computer program we planned to use for processing our radio astronomy data. Both of us tried to identify and perfect various algorithms that might do a better job handling the special peculiarities present in our observations. (For those unfamiliar with computer programming, it’s like coming up with a recipe for making a cake from scratch. Some components will be obvious, but others will take some careful thought.) At a certain point in our conversation, my friend made an interesting observation, the gist of which follows. Worldviews
